Blanket



May 13, 1958 A. L. O'BRIEN BLANKET Filed sept. 2o. 1954 FIGB FIG. 5

INVENTOR. ANNE LOUISE O'BRIEN 5am )fm ATTORNEY United StatesPatent BLANKET Anne Louise OBrien, Somerset, Mass.

Application September 20, 1954, Serial No. 457,289

3 Claims. (Cl. 5-334) This invention relates generally to blankets and has particular reference to a blanket comprising a removable insert.

A primary object of the instant invention is the provision of a blanket having a sponge rubber latex filler.

Another object of the instant invention is the provision of a blanket which will result in greater warmth to the user than that achieved by blankets heretofore used.

Still another object of the instant invention is the provision of a blanket which will not pull out from beneath the mattress during use.

A further object is the provision of a blanket which may be readily and simply varied to provide different degrees of warmth.

A further object of the instant invention is the provision of a blanket having a sponge rubber latex filler, said blanket being so constructed that the sponge rubber filler can be quickly and simply inserted and removed, thereby facilitating Washing and drying of the blanket.

Another object is the provision of a blanket which in spite of having increased warming characteristics is still light in weight and confortable in use.

A still further object of the instant invention is the provision of a blanket which is far more versatile than blankets heretofore used, but which, nevertheless, is both practical and economically feasible to manufacture.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated by me for carrying out my invention:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a blanket embodying the instant invention, with a portion thereof broken away for purposes of illustration;

Fig. 2 is a section, on an enlarged scale, taken on line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a section, on an enlarged scale, taken on line 3 3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a slightly modified form of my invention; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of still another modification thereof.

It has been found desirable to provide a blanket having improved warming characteristics, but which, nevertheless, will not be excessively heavy in use. Heretofore, when a person desired increased warmth while sleeping, it was necessary to use additional blankets. Since conventional blankets are generally constructed of rather heavy wool, the use of additional blankets would result in excess weight being created, frequently to the discomfort of the user. Accordingly, there has been provided in ac cordance with the instant invention a blanket comprising an envelope-like outer woolen portion and a removable insert for positioning therein, constructed of sponge rubber latex. The use of sponge rubber as a removable ller in a blanket is thought to be novel and forms a ice highly important feature of the instant invention. Since the sponge rubber is substantially impervious to the passage of air, a relatively thin and light slab of the same will provide a maximum of warmth. It will be under stood that the additional warmth resulting from the use of the instant blanket is actually warmth resulting from the body heat of the user. aforementioned, sponge rubber is substantially imperivous to the passage of air, body heat radiated beneath the blanket will be maintained thereunder and will not escape as readily as in the case with conventional woolen blankets.

A further advantage that has been found to exist in the use of a sponge rubber slab as a removable blanket insert resides in the fact that such a sponge-rubber-lined blanket will not inadvertently pull from beneath the mattress. This is due to the fact that the weight of the mattress and the person sleeping thereupon causes as certain amount of compression of the sponge rubber por' tion tucked in beneath the mattress, which compression makes it extremely dillicult for the blanket with the sponge rubber therein to be inadvertently pulled out by restless sleepers and the like. Thus it Will be seen that the instant invention does away with the annoyance and aggravation heretofore frequently encountered by the inadvertent pulling out of blankets from beneath the mattresses, which necessitates constant rearrangement and tucking in of the blanket. Also, it will be obvious that a blanket constructed in accordance with the instant invention can rapidly and simplyl be varied to create additional warmth, simply by inserting additional slabs of sponge rubber.

Referring now to the drawings, a blanket generally designated at 1t) is shown as being of substantially rectangular shape. The blanket comprises an upper wall 12, preferably constructed of any suitable textile material,

and a lower wall 14, likewise constructed of textile mate-` rial. As shown most clearly in Fig. 1, walls 12 and 14 are in substantially superimposed relation and are joined to each other alo-ng their side edges 16 and along their bottom edges 18. Preferably, they are joined to each other by stitching 20 located in spaced relation to and adjacent the edges 16 and 18. It will be understood, however, that any other suitable means may be employed for securing together the edges of the walls 12 and 14.

The wall 14 is provided with a flap 22 at its free edge. The purpose of this flap will hereinafter be made apparent. As will be obvious from the foregoing description and from Figs. l to 3, textile walls 12 and 14 cooperate to form an envelope-like arrangement adaptable to relceive therein a removable insert 24 of sponge rubber latex. The sponge rubber is preferably in the shape of a rectangular slab, and is so designed that it will lit snugly within the pocket formed by the aforedescribed walls 12 and 14. After the insert 24 has been positioned between walls 12 and 14, ap 22 is folded over the open end of the blanket and is tucked in between walls 12 and the sponge rubber insert, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3. Thus it will be seen that there is provided in accordance with the instant invention a very simple and practical blanket having a sponge rubber insert which may be easily and rapidly inserted and removed. Likewise, the flap 22 provides convenient means for the closure of the open end of the blanket, although it will be understood that other suitable means, such as snap-fastening devices or the like, could be utilized, if desired, to detachably secure together the free edges of the walls 12 and 14.

Referring now to Fig. 4, a slightly modified form of my invention is shown. The only distinction which exists between this form and the preferred form above-described resides in the fact that the sponge rubber insert More specifically, since, as

is simply wide enough to overlie the upper portion of the mattress. More specically, there is provided upper wall 26 and lower wall 28, both of textile material, joined together at their side edges by stitching 30. 1nwardly spaced from and in substantially parallel relation to the stitching 30 there is provided additional stitching 32 which defines a somewhat narrower pocket adapted to receive a sponge. rubber latex slab 34in the same manner as heretofore described.

With respect to Fig. 5, another slightly modified form is shown wherein upper and lower walls 56 and 38, respectively, of textile material, are joined together by stitching, such as shown at 40, to provide a pocket in the manner heretofore described. In this form, however, the sponge rubber latex slab comprises a somewhat thicl-:cr center portion 42 and thinner outer portions 44. Thus it will be obvious, that in this form the warmer portion o f'the blanket will overlie the person using the same, but at the same time the outer portions, which are tucked beneath the blanket, also have sponge rubber therein, thus taking advantage of the improved retention characteristics of the blanket beneath the mattress resulting from compression of the rubber, in a manner heretofore described.

It will be obvious that whichever form of my invention is utilized, the sponge rubber latex insert can readily and simply be removed from within the upper and lower textile blanket walls, whereby the latter can be cleaned in any desired manner, after which the sponge rubber in sert is replaced. Of course, it will be vunderstood that in warmer weather, the blanket may be used without the rubber insert, if desired.

While there is shown and described herein certain specic structure embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modiiications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

4 Y Having thus described my invention what I claim is: l. A blanket comprising substantially superimposed up per and lower walls of textile material, said upper and lower walls being joined to each other so as to form a pocket thereinbetween having an access opening leading thereinto, and a sponge rubber-like removable positioned Within said pocket.

2. A blanket comprising substantially superimposed upper and lower walls of textile material, said walls being substantially rectangular, means securing said walls to each other along three edges thereof whereby' to provide a pocket thereinbetween having an access. opening along the unsecured wall edges, and a thin rectangular slab of positioned within said pocket and covering substantially the entire area thereof, said sponge rubber slab being thicker along its central portion than along its sideedge POYttOns.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS- 1,256,783 Fuller Peb. 19,'v 1918 1,584,694 Miller May 11, 1926 2,298,218 Madson Oct. 6, 1942 2,383,592 Davis Aug. 28, 1945 2,614,273 Yancofski Oct. 21, 1952 2,617,751 Bickett Nov. 11, 19.52 2,637,860 Lehigh May 12, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 622,575 Great Britain May 4, 1949 U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Pat-ent No. 2,834,033 Anne Louise O 'Brien It is hereby certified that error appears .in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Lettere Patent should read as corrected below.

May 13, 1958 Column 4, line 6, after "rubber-like" insert .-=slab;l same line, for "removable" read "removably".

Signed and sealed this lst day of July M958.

(SEAL) Attest:

KARL H. AXLINE ROBERT C. WATSON Attesting Officer Conmissoner of Patents 

